Homabay County CECM for Environment, Water Forestry Sanitation and Energy Dr. Joash Aloo has asked county residents to conserve all wetlands amid increasing concerns of human encroachment.
He appealed to them to protect the environment all the time without necessarily waiting for the government to do so.
“Ask yourself what you are going to do about the wetland as residents,” the CEC said adding preserving the environment is not work preserved for the government.
Oloo, who was speaking during the world wetland day held at Ondago swamp told the residents that conserving the environment is for their own good.
“You do it for posterity; you do it because you are mindful about the lives of tomorrow. Let’s us not destroy the resources,” he said
Ondago swamp was gazetted in 1997 as a bird sanctuary covering 45 hectares with parcel no.LR 881, South Nyanza County council
“Human encroachment on the swamp has reduced the area to 24.8 hectares,” said Josiah Nyandoro, the NEMA director, Homabay County
Defining wetland as an area of land covered with water either permanently or seasonally where animals and plants have found adaptation, the county director said in 1989 flamingoes migrated from lake Nakuru to Ondago wetland.
He said in Kenya wetlands cover approximately 14000km2 as he highlighted the importance of wetland among them being good for micro climate stabilization, maintenance of water table, habitat for animals and many others.
By Moseti Julius
